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Abstract:

The present disclosure relates to a thermoform packaging machine
comprising at least one cross cutting station including a punching device
for cutting out strip cuts and a method of operating such a thermoform
packaging machine.

Claims:

1. A thermoform packaging machine comprising: at least one cross cutting
station; and a longitudinal cutting station; the cross cutting station
including a punching device having a punching tool capable of cutting out
a strip cut from a bottom film and/or a top film, the punching device
being oriented transversely to a conveying direction of the film, and the
cross cutting station including a receptacle for receiving the strip cut
above the bottom film and/or the top film, wherein the cross cutting
station is provided with at least one slide, the slide being adapted to
be moved in the receptacle so as to temporarily support part of the strip
cuts located in the receptacle and above the slide.

2. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the
slide is adapted to be moved in a plane substantially parallel to a
conveying plane of the bottom film.

3. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the
punching device comprises holding elements so as to support strip cuts
located above the conveying plane of the bottom film and below the slide.

4. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 3, wherein the
holding elements are sawtooth-shaped.

5. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the
slide has a beveled leading edge.

6. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the
slide is adapted to be driven by a pneumatic or an electric drive.

7. A method of operating a thermoform packaging machine comprising at
least one cross cutting station and a longitudinal cutting station, the
cross cutting station including a punching device having a punching tool
capable cutting out a strip cut from a bottom film and/or a top film,
wherein at least one slide is moved away from the strip cuts prior to or
during a punching operation, and at least one strip cut is pushed upwards
past the slide, the slide being then moved to a position between two
neighboring and superimposed strip cuts so as to support the strip cuts
located above the slide.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the slide is moved out of a
stack of strip cuts in the receptacle before the punching tool starts the
punching operation, or before the punching tool comes into contact with
the bottom film, or before the conveyance of the bottom film and the top
film into the cross cutting station has been finished.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the slide is moved into a
stack of strip cuts in the receptacle before the punching tool is moved
downwards again after the punching operation.

10. A thermoform packaging machine comprising: a container forming
station capable of forming containers from a bottom film, the bottom film
capable of moving in a conveying direction; a sealing station capable of
sealing containers with a top film; a cross cutting station; and a
longitudinal cutting station; the cross cutting station including: a
punching tool capable of cutting out a strip cut from at least one of the
bottom film and the top film; a receptacle above the bottom film and/or
the top film for receiving the strip cut; and a slide adapted to be moved
in the receptacle to temporarily support part of the strip cuts located
in the receptacle.

11. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 10, wherein the
slide is adapted to be moved in a plane substantially parallel to a
conveying plane of the bottom film and support the strip cuts above the
slide.

12. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 10, wherein the
punching tool is part of a punching device that is oriented transversely
to the conveying direction, the punching device further comprising
holding elements so as to support strip cuts located above the conveying
plane of the bottom film and below the slide.

13. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 12, wherein the
holding elements are sawtooth-shaped.

14. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 10, wherein the
slide has a beveled leading edge.

15. The thermoform packaging machine according to claim 10, wherein the
slide is adapted to be driven by a pneumatic or an electric drive.

Description:

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims foreign priority benefits under 35 U.S.C.
§119(a)-(d) to German patent application number DE 102010049960.9,
filed Oct. 28, 2010 which is incorporated by reference in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a thermoform packaging machine as
well as to a method of operating a thermoform packaging machine for
punching out strip cuts.

BACKGROUND

[0003] In thermoform packaging machines, a trough is normally formed in a
bottom film/foil in a forming station, the trough being then filled with
a product and sealed with a top film in an airtight manner in a sealing
station under vacuum and/or a modified atmosphere. The packages produced
in this way constitute a compound which is interconnected through the
bottom film and are conveyed through the thermoform packaging machine by
means of clamp chains provided on both sides of the film. For separating
the individual packages from the compound of bottom and top films, a
combination comprising a cross cutting station and a subsequent
longitudinal cutting station may be provided. In the cross cutting
station the compound of bottom and top films is cut transversely to the
conveying direction, or strip cuts are punched out if radii should be
necessary on the edges of the packages. In this case, the knife may punch
out the strip cuts from above, which means that the strip cuts will drop.
If there should not be sufficient space for a unit for collecting the
strip cuts within the machine frame or for removing them from the machine
frame, the punching tool may punch out the strip cuts from below in an
upward direction. These strip cuts will then be pushed further up in a
receptacle after each step and can finally be removed in one go. In
high-performance machines, the receptacles are very high so that they
need not be emptied constantly. The strip cuts are here pushed over a
projection which extends above a film conveying plane and on which part
of the strip cut punched out last rests with its edge thus preventing the
strip cuts stacked thereabove from dropping into the cross cutting
station and on the packages to be cut. In the latter case malfunctions
would be caused in the thermoform packaging machine.

[0004] Especially if the strip cuts in question are comparatively thin or
not flexurally rigid, there will be a high risk that the weight of the
stacked strip cuts cannot be held by the lowermost supported strip cut.

SUMMARY

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a thermoform
packaging machine and a method of operating the same, by means of which
the above described drawbacks can be eliminated.

[0006] The thermoform packaging machine is characterized in that it
comprises at least one cross cutting station and a longitudinal cutting
station, said cross cutting station including a punching device so as to
cut out a strip cut from a bottom film and/or a top film by means of a
punching tool, said punching device being preferably oriented
substantially transversely to a conveying direction and including a
receptacle for receiving therein the strip cut above the bottom film
and/or the top film. The cross cutting station is provided with at least
one slide so as to support part of the strip cuts located in the
receptacle and above the slide. Preferably, the slide is arranged as
closely as possible above the conveying plane of the bottom film. Such a
slide and its position guarantee that the strip cuts resting on the slide
will not press on the strip cuts located therebelow. Since only a small
number of strip cuts is disposed between the conveying plane of the
bottom film and the slide, said strip cuts can be supported by a
projection provided in the receptacle due their low own weight and, in
the case of thin films, in spite of their lack of flexural rigidity.

[0007] The slide is adapted to be moved in the receptacle preferably in a
plane substantially parallel to a conveying plane of the bottom film, so
as to guarantee that the slide can reliably be inserted between two strip
cuts.

[0008] Preferably, the punching device comprises holding elements so as to
support a plurality of strip cuts located above the conveying plane of
the bottom film and below the slide. By means of such holding elements
individual strip cuts can be supported, and this will reduce still
further the weight on the lowermost strip cut, which is the strip cut
that has been cut out last. The strip cut that has been cut out last and
the strip cuts located thereabove are prevented from dropping.

[0009] According to a preferred embodiment, the holding elements are
sawtooth-shaped, on the one hand for providing a support for at least
part of the strip cuts and, on the other hand, for allowing the strip
cuts to be easily pushed further up past the projections of the holding
elements. The holding elements have a plurality of horizontal projections
on different levels between which a bevel is disposed.

[0010] The slide preferably has a beveled (inclined) leading edge, so that
insertion of the slide between two superimposed strip cuts will be
guaranteed. The slide can be implemented as a flat plate or in the form
of a rake or a fork.

[0011] Preferably, the slide is adapted to be driven by means of a
pneumatic drive, e.g. a pneumatic cylinder, or an electric drive,
preferably a servo motor or a solenoid, so as to guarantee a fast
movement and exact positioning of the slide relative to the strip cuts.

[0012] A method according to the present disclosure, used for operating a
thermoform packaging machine, is so conceived that it comprises at least
one cross cutting station and a longitudinal cutting station, said cross
cutting station including a punching device so as to cut out a strip cut
from a bottom film and/or a top film by means of a punching tool, and it
is so conceived that a slide is moved away from the strip cuts prior to
or during a punching operation, a further strip cut is pushed upwards,
and the slide is then moved to a position between two neighboring and
superimposed strip cuts so as to support the strip cuts located above the
slide. It is thus guaranteed that the slide movement is executed as long
as a stack of strip cuts is at rest.

[0013] Preferably, the movement of the slide is executed by means of a
controller, since the controller is in the possession of all information
on the processes taking place in the packaging machine and, in
particular, on the sensors and actuators of the cross cutting station and
is therefore able to guarantee an efficient and process-reliable sequence
of operations.

[0014] Preferably, the slide is moved out of a stack of strip cuts in a
receptacle before the punching tool starts the punching operation or the
punching tool comes into contact with the bottom film or the conveyance
of the bottom film and the top film into the cross cutting station has
been finished.

[0015] The slide is preferably moved into the stack of strip cuts in the
receptacle before the punching tool is moved downwards again after the
punching operation, so as to support all the strip cuts positioned above
the slide and relieve the strip cuts positioned therebelow.

[0016] In the following, an advantageous embodiment of the thermoform
packaging machine according to the present disclosure and of the method
according to the present disclosure will be explained in more detail with
reference to the below drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a thermoform packaging machine
according to the present disclosure;

[0021] Components corresponding to one another are normally designated by
the same reference numerals throughout the figures.

[0022]FIG. 1 shows in a schematic view a packaging machine according to
the present disclosure in the form of a thermoform packaging machine 1.
The thermoform packaging machine 1 comprises a forming station 2, a
sealing station 3, a cross cutting station 4 and a longitudinal cutting
station 5, which are arranged on a machine frame 6 in this sequence in a
working direction R. On the input side, the machine frame 6 has provided
thereon a supply roll 7 from which a bottom film/foil 8 is unwound. In
the area of the sealing station 3 a material storage unit 9 is provided,
from which a top film 10 is unwound. On the output side, a discharge unit
13 in the form of a conveyor belt is provided on the packaging machine,
said discharge unit 13 being used for removing finished packages 21 which
have been separated from one another. In addition, the packaging machine
1 is provided with a feed unit, which is not shown, said feed unit
gripping the bottom film 8 and advancing it clockwise in the working
direction R in a main work cycle. The feed unit may be realized e.g. by
laterally arranged conveyor chains and convey the bottom film 8 in a
conveying plane E.

[0023] In the embodiment shown, the forming station 2 is implemented as a
thermoforming station in which containers 14 are formed in the bottom
film 8 by thermoforming. The forming station 2 can be configured such
that several containers are formed side by side in a direction
perpendicular to the working direction R. An infeed line 15 is provided
downstream of the forming station 2 when seen in the working direction R.
On said infeed line 15 the containers 14 formed in the bottom film 8 are
filled with products 16.

[0024] The sealing station 3 is provided with a closable chamber 17 in
which the atmosphere in the container 14 can be replaced by a substitute
gas or a substitute gas mixture, e.g. by means of gas flushing, before
said container 14 is sealed.

[0025] The cross cutting station 4 is configured as a strip punch, which
cuts through the bottom film 8 and the top film 10 in a direction
transversely to the working direction R between neighboring containers
14. The cross cutting station 4 operates such that the bottom film 8 is
not cut through across its whole width, but remains uncut at least in a
boundary area and between two neighboring containers 14. The containers
14 can thus be advanced by the feed unit in a controlled manner.

[0026] In the embodiment shown, the longitudinal cutting station 5 is
configured as a knife assembly by means of which the bottom film 8 and
the top film 10 are cut through between neighboring containers 14 and at
the lateral edge of the bottom film 8 so that individual packages 21 are
obtained downstream of the longitudinal cutting station 5.

[0027] The thermoform packaging machine 1 is additionally provided with a
controller 18. This controller 18 has the function of controlling and
supervising the processes taking place in the packaging machine 1. A
display device 19 provided with control elements 20 is used for making
the processes in the thermoform packaging machine 1 visible to and for
influencing them through an operator.

[0028] The general mode of operation of the packaging machine 1 is briefly
described hereinbelow.

[0029] The bottom film 8 is unwound from the supply roll 7 and conveyed
into the forming station 2 by means of the feed unit. In the forming
station 2, containers 14 are formed in the bottom film 8 by means of
thermoforming. The containers 14, together with the bottom film portion
extending therearound, are advanced in a main work cycle to the infeed
line 15 where they are filled with a product 16.

[0030] Subsequently, the filled containers 14, together with the bottom
film portion extending therearound, are advanced into the sealing station
3 by means of the feed unit in said main work cycle. After having been
sealed onto the bottom film 8, the top film 10 is advanced along with the
feed movement of the bottom film 8. In the course of this movement, the
top film 10 is unwound from the material storage unit 9. Due to the
sealing of the top film 10 onto the containers 14, sealed packages 21 are
produced.

[0031]FIG. 2 shows a cross cutting station 4 with a punching device 22
which, by means of a pneumatic drive 23, moves a punching tool 24 upwards
against the bottom film 8 and the top film 10, which are not shown, and,
in so doing, cuts out a strip cut 25 (cf. FIG. 4) from the compound
consisting of said bottom film 8 and said top film 10. During the
continued upward movement, the strip cut 25 is advanced to such an extent
that it will be supported by holding elements 26 so as to prevent it from
dropping.

[0032] In the subsequent main work cycles, further strip cuts 25 are
pushed upwards into a receptacle 27. As soon as the stack of strip cuts
25 has reached a certain height in the upper area of the receptacle 27,
the uppermost strip cuts 25 will laterally drop onto a discharger 28 and
can subsequently be supplied to a collecting unit.

[0033]FIG. 3 shows two slides 29 which have the shape of a rake or a fork
and which are adapted to be moved within the receptacle 27 by means of
pneumatic cylinders 30 in the direction of a stack of strip cuts 25,
which is not shown, and back again into the opposite direction. The stack
of strip cuts 25 is guided by guide means 31 such that the position of
the individual strip cuts 25 is retained in the transverse and in the
longitudinal direction. The holding elements 26 are provided with
sawtooth-shaped projections 32, which hold a boundary area of a strip cut
25 so as to prevent the latter from dropping back into the punching
device 22 while the punching tool 24 is moved in a downward return
movement to a parking position. In the subsequent main work cycle, the
next strip cut 25 is pushed upwards and, during this upward movement, it
pushes the preceding strip cut 25 further up by a distance corresponding
to one projection 32 on the holding elements 26. The horizontal
projections 32 are disposed on the holding element 26 on different
levels.

[0034] In FIG. 4 the slides 29 are shown at two positions. The slide 29
located on the left, when seen in a top view, occupies a position outside
of the stack of strip cuts 25, and the slide 29 shown on the right
occupies the position at which it is moved between two strip cuts 25 of
said stack and supports consequently the strip cuts 25 located thereabove
such that they are prevented from dropping. The slides 29 are preferably
moved in synchronism. The movement of the slides 29 into the stack of
strip cuts 25 takes place as soon as the punching tool 24 has finished
the punching operation at the uppermost position. As soon as the slides
29 have been moved in and support the upper part of the stack, the
punching tool 24 moves downwards. The slides 29 are arranged in or on the
receptacle 27 directly above the punching device 22 so that only a small
number of strip cuts 25 will be located between the conveying plane E of
the bottom film 8 and the slides 29.

[0035] The slides 29 are preferably provided with a bevel or inclination
in the front portion 31 thereof. This bevel may also be provided on the
upper and lower surfaces of the slide 29. The slides 29 need not be
provided in common on the same side; also a variant comprising opposed
slides 29 is imaginable. These slides 29 can then be moved into one
another in the form of rakes. Also a further variant is imaginable, in
the case of which one or a plurality of slides 29 are not movable in the
conveying direction of the bottom film 8 but orthogonally to or at an
oblique angle to said conveying direction.

[0036] The cross cutting station 4 may be arranged as a single or as an
additional cross cutting station 4 between the forming station 2 and the
sealing station 3 so as to cut (only) the bottom film 8. Likewise, it is
imaginable to dispose the cross cutting station 4 or an additional cross
cutting station 4 between the material storage unit 9 and the sealing
station 3 so as to cut (only) the top film 10.

[0037] While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended
that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the invention.
Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description
rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be
made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Additionally, the features of various implementing embodiments may be
combined to form further embodiments of the invention.